We open on a cabinet filled with Rinda's HIV meds, which she is counting into her med-minder. Delia's reflection in the bathroom mirror startles her, and she asks Delia if she needs the mirror or something. Delia asks, "Why do you take so many pills?" Rinda says, "I don't take so many pills." Delia tells Rinda that she's seen her take the pills all the time. "Are you sick?" Rinda takes Delia's hand and leads her to a window seat. They sit, and Rinda explains gently, "I have a disease. It's called HIV; have you ever heard of it?" Delia hasn't. Rinda says that HIV is a virus, and if you catch it, your body can't get better as well as it used to. She explains that she got it from a patient she was trying to help, but that there's nothing to worry about; she's fine. Delia: "I thought you were a druggie." Hee. Rinda laughs, and says she can barely drink wine. Lightweight. She tells Delia that if she has any questions, she or Treat will be able to answer them anytime, but that it's not something to talk about to other people. Delia assures Rinda that she's great with secrets, and she won't tell anyone. Rinda thanks her, and Delia gives her new sick mommy a great big hug. Rinda: "You never hugged me before." Delia: "I know. It was time." Aw. Treat calls Delia for the bus, leaving a concerned-looking Rinda alone. Credits.
Treat's office. A crotchety old man asks Treat, "You sure the cream'll work? I don't wanna spend my granddaughter's wedding scratchin' at my pits." Treat grins, and tells "Ollie" that he'll be itch-free in time to pick up his tux. Ollie leaves, and Treat calls to Edna to send in "Mrs. Hayes." He turns around, and Rinda is walking in. "You're not Mrs. Hayes. I can tell because you're not ninety and you don't have jaundice." Heh. Rinda tells him that she needs to talk to him for a minute. She tells Treat about her talk with Delia earlier that day. Treat gets all bent out of shape about it, asking her how she could do that. Rinda says that Delia asked her, and there didn't seem to be a better way to handle it. Treat reminds Rinda that they decided together that if the time came, Treat would be the one to tell his kids. Rinda's like, "Yeah, but you haven't." Treat seven-year-olds, "Well, it's not like you've told Bright and Amy!" Rinda says that Delia's old enough to notice things, and Delia asked, and she just couldn't hold it back anymore. Treat wants to know how Delia handled it; Rinda says she seemed comfortable with it, asked some questions, and acted like she understood. Treat says Delia can't be comfortable with it, because she doesn't even know what "it" is. He says maybe he can leave work early and talk to Delia, then worries that she's told someone. Rinda tells Treat to give her some credit, that she told Delia it was a secret, which Delia promised she'd keep. Rinda tells Treat that he can talk to Delia after school. Treat's all, "I certainly will!" Cool out, man. Rinda says, "Good, maybe you can fix all my mistakes!" Ow.
Abbott House. Amy, Bright, and Ephram, in that order, are watching TV on the couch. Mmm, Bright sandwich. Amy tells Bright to turn on something good. Ephram remarks that there's nothing good on. Bright says there's always something good on TV -- that's been his motto since he was a little kid, and he's sticking to it. He flips to a nature show. "See? Pandas!" Hee. Even Amy laughs. Ephram asks Bright to change the channel, since Madison used to have a stuffed panda. Amy says, "Don't complain. At least your ex isn't going into rehab. Again." Ephram: "I wish she was, at least then she couldn't date." Bright, in the middle on more than one level, says this is why he keeps all of his relationships to under one month. "No muss, no fuss." Amy finishes, "No depth." Bright tells them that the reason they both got dumped is because they're annoying whiners. Ephram suggests to Amy that they should take their sadness to the whole town, and call it "Dump Fest." Amy giggles. Bright: "Hmm. Sit here with the bitter twins, or free internet porn? 'Scuse me." He leaves them for nudier pastures.
Amy comments, "'Bitter twins'? He's getting funnier." Heh. Ephram says that maybe Bright's right, and he can't believe he's acting like this, because nothing used to get to him. He asks Amy if she's got any extra ZOLOFT lying around. Amy says she's fresh out. She says she's actually enjoying not enjoying the medicated life, though, if that makes sense. Ephram's like, "Whatever works." Amy asks if there's anywhere they could go to get Ephram's mind off Madison. Ephram says that he and Madison went out just long enough for everything in town to remind him of her. "I can't even look at a street sign without being reminded of something that reminds me of her." Amy is lost. Ephram flips on the TV and says he'll show her. A pizza commercial is on. He says, "See the annoying deep dish pizza lady? That reminds me of Chicago, which reminds me of that episode of Samurai Jack, where they have to stop the wind from blowing away those little blue guys, which reminds me of that nasty blue cotton candy you made me buy you the first time we ever hung out at Thaw Fest a million years ago, which you got all over your nose and it was pretty cute." Amy says she gets it now, and...aw. He still loves her! ["Also, aw, he watches Samurai Jack! I love that show!" -- Sars]
Cut to the playground at Delia's school. Brittany tries to make Arnie play dodgeball, but he says Delia throws too hard and gives him nosebleeds. Heh. Delia sits on the swings, looking depressed. Brittany asks her what's wrong. Oh, shit. Delia says it's a secret. Brittany: "Great! What is it?" Ugh. Delia won't tell. Brittany says that best friends share secrets; it's like the first rule. Delia says it's not her secret. Brittany convinces Delia to tell, because she's a poisonous little hellbeast. Delia makes Brittany promise not to tell. Brittany totally promises, like, pinky promises, she won't say anything, ever. Delia spills. Brittany scares the shit out of Delia by telling her that people with HIV die, there's no cure, and you can't touch homeless people because they might have AIDS and kill you. This wisdom, of course, all comes from Brittany's dad. Nice. Delia says, "Linda's not going to die! Just forget I said anything. I shouldn't have even told you." No, you shouldn't have, honeychile. Good luck with that. Brittany promises she won't say a word, really. Uh huh. And I won't get up and fix another martini.
Patch Abbott's office. His patient is a little boy who keeps getting change stuck in his ears. Patch admonishes him for "getting coinage of increasing value" in there. Heh. We hear angry voices in the background, and Patch walks out into the waiting room to see what's going on. Rinda is telling Brittany's parents that she can explain. Patch demands to know what the hell is going on. Brittany's mom says to Patch, "We heard she has AIDS. Does she?" The parents turn on Rinda, accusing her of exposing Brittany to her diseased self by performing acupuncture without gloves. Rinda tries to get a word in, but the parents of Brittany just keep yelling more loudly. Patch tries to calm them down, and Rinda says that at no point was Brittany in any danger of any kind. Brittany's dad tells Rinda and Patch that he can't believe they thought this behavior was normal, and if it were, they wouldn't be keeping it a secret. He turns to go and adds, "Guess what? It's not your secret anymore." Brittany's parents shut the office door, which reads "Dr. Harold Abbott MD" and underneath that, "Dr. Linda Abbott MD," and The Strings of Angry Town Gossip take us to the commercials.
We come back to a meeting of Patch, Rinda, Edna (yay!), and Treat. Treat says, "Delia." Rinda surmises that Delia told Brittany, who told her parents. Oops. Rinda apologizes to her brother. Patch says they had no legal duty to tell anyone, as long as Rinda wasn't endangering her patients' health or safety. Rinda reminds Patch that doctors have been sued for non-disclosure before, and lost. Patch argues that just as many cases have been thrown out. Edna pipes up, "We've got bigger problems than that now. If the Clarks know, everybody in town will know before breakfast." Ah, small-town life. Last summer when we were moving, I told a few people that my husband was still in Dallas, working and closing on our house. A month later, my mother called me in tears, worried sick that we had separated and were getting divorced. It was super-fun. Everyone looks at each other sadly. Treat says he has to talk to his kids before anyone else does.
Cut to Amy, on the computer. Bright is standing behind her, and she tells him that he can wait two seconds to check Fantasy Basketball. Hee. She gets up to let Bright have his turn, but doesn't leave the room. All of a sudden, she asks Bright, "So did you think it was weird today, the three of us watching TV?" Bright says he just thought it was sad. Amy says she just hasn't hung out with Ephram like that in a while. Bright brags, "I have." He tells Amy that he thought she and Ephram were in "Friend Zone" now, anyway. Amy says they are, but adds, "I don't know, we were just sitting there all smushed together, and he was being all funny, and...I thought I felt a shift." Bright's like, "Oh, no. NO. No shifting allowed!" He tells Amy that she can't mess anything up. Amy says she's not. Bright: "No smushing. No shifting." Heh. Amy says that she and Ephram never really had a chance, because there was always something there to screw them up, but now that he's not dating Madison, and she's not dating any crack dealers...there's nothing to get in the way. Bright disagrees: "Yeah, there is. ME." Amy points out that Bright was the one who told her to go for it with Ephram in the first place. Bright says that was before he cared if Ephram got creamed. Heh. "Creamed." He says that Ephram's heart just got broken, he's a mess, and can't take any more, so to push the "shift" back from wherever it came. Amy pouts. Rinda knocks on the door. "Hi. Can I talk to you two?"
Cut to the Browns. Treat has Ephram and Delia on the couch, and he tells them that Rinda has known about the HIV for around three years, and she made sure he knew everything before they started dating. Ephram looks like he might throw up. He asks if Rinda is sick. Treat says that she's fine, and it's always been under control. Ephram asks, "But she could get sick at any time?" Treat says technically, yes, but it's unlikely. He tells his children that he's been wanting to tell them for a while, but he didn't want to scare them. Ephram wants to know, "Why now?" Treat answers, "Because you may start to hear things about her." Delia asks her dad if this is her fault. Aw. Treat assures her it's not. Ephram still doesn't understand why Treat didn't tell them before, and we cut to...
…Rinda, who is explaining to Amy and Bright, "I suppose I didn't tell you because I've been feeling so well, and bringing it up makes me have to deal with it again." Bright says he gets now why Rinda didn't want to come home for so long. Rinda says that was part of it. Bright: "That was dumb." Everyone laughs, breaking the tension. Bright is genius. Amy asks if there's anything they can do to help. Rinda says they're not supposed to do anything -- it's her job to live with it, and she does. Patch and Rose nod in agreement. Rinda asks Amy, "Remember that quote on my desk I showed you? 'I have carried out my endeavors with great passion...'" Amy finishes, "'And cast out the body that I loved.'" Sniff. Rinda nods, and tells them that she lives in this body now, but has found a way to love it just as much.
Back at the Brown House, Treat hugs Delia and tells her good night. Ephram waits until Delia is safely upstairs, then hits Treat with, "Have you been sleeping with her?" Treat can't deny that he has. Ephram, who is now the daddy, asks, "Have you been safe?" Treat says they've been very safe. Ephram asks Treat if he's been tested. Treat evades the question: "I told you, we've been very safe." Not getting away that easy, big man. Ephram asks again, "But...have you been tested?" Treat says he hasn't. Ephram looks as disappointed as a son (father) can be in a father (son).
At Edna and Irv's house (hello, Irv!), Edna is unpacking groceries and worrying her ass off. Irv tells her to calm down: "It's one pair of overprotective parents. They'll tell a few other parents half as mad as they are, they'll all shoot their mouths off, someone may write a mean anonymous letter, then tomorrow everyone will find something else to gossip about." Go, Irv. You're wrong, but go anyway. Edna says they're way past gossip, and she knows how it's going to go down -- not when people have an excuse to be bigots and call it self-defense. Irv's like, "What, are they going to throw rocks?" Edna says, "It'll be worse. It'll be subtle, and quiet, and a lot scarier than a broken window." And in the category of Things I Know For Sure, that is damn right. Irv calls Edna "apocalyptic," and says she's overreacting. Edna reminds him that they're talking about the same sweet folks who got so riled up when they got married. Irv says that was different, that everyone loved her first husband. Edna says it was because Irv is black, and she is white, and asks why he's making excuses for them. Irv:
"Because you can't fight it. They're just scared." Edna says that's what makes them the most dangerous.As we fade to the scene, the brilliant and lovely Beth Orton starts singing "Ooh Child." If these people think that things are gonna get easier, they need to think again. Rinda is at home reading a book. Treat knocks on her door. He walks in and says, "Tell me that's Merlot and there's lots of it." Heh. Rinda asks how everything went. Treat's all, "Super! My kids hate me! You?" Rinda says that Amy and Bright were awesome. She asks after Ephram. Treat says he was just shocked by it all, then apologizes for his behavior that morning. Rinda says it wasn't his best moment. Treat has a lot of those, doesn't he? He says, "The truth is, you did an amazing job with Delia. You made her understand, and that's not easy. I'm not even sure it's possible, but you did it. I'm sorry." Rinda responds -- in a way, please note, that makes me Treat-grin myself -- "You know, if you didn't say something like that in the five minutes, several large men in ski masks were going to come out and beat you up." Treat sits to her and tells her that she is impossibly beautiful. What, this old thing? Rinda asks him why he's being so nice; she already accepted his apology. Treat says, "I don't know. 'Cause it's true." Aw. Puke. Except, if somebody doesn't tell me I'm impossibly beautiful in the five minutes? Large men in ski masks. Their smiles fade, and Treat tells Rinda, "We're going to get through this. Together." Rinda puts her head on Treat's shoulder, and wishes he were telling the truth.
The morning at the Abbott Office, Patch asks Louise where everyone is. She tells him that they all cancelled. Aw, shit. Patch pretends like this doesn't bother him one iota, and cheeses, "We knew this would happen. All that is required is a tincture of time." Rinda, beat down, tells her brother that they're not coming back. Patch says they will, right after they throw their little fit. He says their practice has weathered far worse in its fifty years of operation. Rinda is not appeased. The door opens, and Rose Abbott walks in with a face of doom. She tells Patch and Rinda that there were twenty families in her office mad as hell just now. "They're threatening to file a malpractice suit against you. Against the whole practice. They want to shut you down." Shit? Meet fan. Commercials.
We come back to Rinda sitting alone in her office, listening to Patch and Rose argue. Rose says nobody cares that Patch and Rinda had no obligation to disclose this information. "They trusted you. What did you expect? Did you really think you could keep this a secret forever?" Whose side are you on anyway, Rose? Patch sighs the Sigh of the Sued. He says he doesn't know what he was thinking, that Rinda was supposed to worry about her health, not about the town's approval. He says he was only trying to protect his sister. Rose says, "You can't do that, not now. They're filing for fraud and emotional distress." Give me a fucking break. Rose tells Patch that she hates this as much as he does, but she did get them to tell her what it would take to make this go away. "They want Linda to go. They will drop everything, and they will waive all right to damages if she walks away quietly, and today." Patch loses his shit: "She's done nothing wrong! Absolutely not. Let them sue us all they want, I will not bow to their prejudices and petty fears." Nice try, Patch, but Rinda's out of here. Rose says it doesn't matter who's right, that Patch and Rinda never told their patients she was sick, and they kept on practicing; the patients feel threatened, and are ready for a fight. Rose tells her husband, "If you fight back, you could lose...everything." This is no fair. I was just starting to really like Rinda.
Over at Treat's office, it's mayhem. Patients are everywhere, talking and wishing they had another drink. Oh, that's me. Edna walks into the waiting room and tells them all that due to an overwhelming need and the absence of a proper line, they will all be served in the order of where they stand right this second. "Starting with you, and proceeding clockwise" -- she gestures counter-clockwise, catches herself, and switches directions -- "clockwise, around the room." Hee. Edna shares my terrible sense of direction. "East? That's...up, right?" Treat walks out of his office, and asks what's going on. Edna says they've been pouring in all morning, and if anymore try to get by, she's going to need a velvet rope. Treat takes the clipboard from Edna and says, "All right. Jerry Block. You're one of Dr. Abbott's patients, aren't you? What brings you here?" Jerry, sheepishly: "Second opinion." Treat isn't buying it, obviously. He singles out another patient. "Another Abbott & Abbott refugee? Yeah, well, contrary to popular belief, I am not interested in poaching their patients. All of you should be ashamed of yourselves. Everybody out! Door's closed." Hee. Someone comments that Treat is even starting to sound like Dr. Abbott, and I couldn't agree, or like it, more. Treat's a good friend, even though Patch hates his guts right now. Not to worry; I read a spoiler that they're totally going to make out in the season finale. Kooky fanfic writers, start your engines!
Cut to the high school. Amy, Bright, and Ephram are outside eating lunch. Bright tells them that his pudding is delicious, and it's one of the things he's going to miss most about high school. What is the deal with these people and pudding? Bright goes on and on about his favorite flavors of pudding while Amy makes eyes at Ephram. Bright says he might have to go get some more -- here he points at Amy and gives her the cutest stink-eye ever -- "although," he says, "I'm not sure I should go right now." Heh. Amy asks Ephram why he's so quiet, and if he's still depressed about Madison. Ephram says it's just stuff at home. Amy: "They told you, too?" Ephram brightens at this. Amy says she almost called him after. Ephram asks why she didn't. Amy looks away shyly, and says she didn't think she could. Ephram: "Of course you could. We can always talk." They are so damn cute together I could poke my eye out. Amy offers, "How 'bout now?" Ephram thinks that would be great. Amy looks inside at Bright, who's in the pudding line, and says, "How about anywhere else?" Ephram agrees, as if he wouldn't.
The unhappy uncouple walk and talk and commiserate. Amy says she didn't know what to do after she found out: "Is it okay to do homework after something like that?" Ephram says everything he knows about HIV either comes from lectures from his dad or Dr. Drew. They talk about how unreal it is, and how Rinda doesn't deserve this. Ephram asks how Rinda is. Amy says, "When somebody tells you they're fine that many times, you sort of stop believing them." She says she can't imagine how freaked out Ephram must be. Ephram says that it doesn't matter, because as freaked out as he may be, his dad has been there and had it worse, so he can't really say anything. Aw. Amy thinks that things like this are too big for there to be rules, or right and wrong, about, and that everything is going to come out eventually. "You might as well just say it on purpose, and choose your words." Ephram looks at Amy for a long minute, and tells her that it's amazing how she does that. Amy, like she doesn't know, is all, "Do what?" Ephram doesn't answer, and they keep on leisurely walking.
Fade to Delia, walking with much more purpose, on the playground. She finds Brittany, who pleads immediately, "Don't be mad!" Delia says, "You told!" Brittany says she had to. Delia says she asked Brittany not to tell, and she told, and now everyone is mad at her. Brittany says she's sorry. Delia: "No you're not. You swore! You promised to keep it a secret!" Brittany says she had to tell, because Rinda is "dangerous." Oy. Delia argues, "No, she's not! You're supposed to be my best frie
nd." Brittany says that she is, even though we all know that she's a backstabbing beeyotch. Delia yells, "Not anymore!" Then she clocks Brittany with an excellent left hook. Hee.Abbott House. Patch, on the phone, lets Rinda in. He hangs up and tells Rinda that that was their lawyer. "It was just like I said. We were in complete compliance with the acupuncturist licensing statutes, which means that their fraud claim can't possibly hold up." Rinda sits down, looking like she ain't holding up so well herself. Patch keeps talking, babbling on and on about blah blah blah law-cakes, when Rinda interrupts him: "Harry." He stops. Rinda says that she's thought this through, and she doesn't want him to fight anymore. "We have an out, and I think we should take it. I'll quit the practice." Patch is having none of it. He says they can definitely win, and if not, they'll keep fighting, whatever the cost. Rinda says that sometimes the cost isn't worth it, that he has a family to consider, and a practice. She says she's not going to let them destroy it, not for her. Patch, taken aback, is all, "Fine. Then for me. I like to fight. Fight!" He tells her that if Everwood isn't a town that can't accept Rinda, who's done nothing but give to the world, then this isn't a town where he wants to practice -- he'd rather lose. Rinda's like, "I know. Lord. Remember Jakey Keller's arm?" She reminds Patch of when they were kids, and they used to have snowball fights with this kid who would always beat up Patch afterwards. "Until that time he beaned me with an iceball right above the eye, and you went after him with a shovel. You broke his arm, remember?" Patch does, and fondly. Heh. He smiles with great pride at this remembrance. Rinda goes on, "That's what you do, Harry. When someone comes after you, you argue. When someone comes after someone you love...the minute you see blood, you go for the throat." Excuse me, there's something in my throat. Not tears, shut up. Patch says that's what you're supposed to do -- when you love someone, you go too far. He tells her that he'll see her at the office in the morning, at the usual time. Rinda thinks, "What am I gonna to with my crazy, yet awesome, brother?"
Brown House, at dinner. Delia pokes at her food, then asks if she may be excused. Treat tells her that she's going to eat her dinner, then go to her room. No TV, just school and studying. Ephram asks, "How long?" Treat says that by the time she gets un-grounded, she could be fluent in Japanese. Delia: "I said I was sorry." Treat: "You weren't very sorry when you gave Brittany a black eye, were you?" A black eye? Excellent. Ephram gets all upset on Delia's behalf, and asks Treat why he's going after her. Treat says Delia should know better than to fight at school. Ephram accuses Treat of not even caring about the fight, just being mad that everyone found out about Rinda. He tells his dad that he has no right to take it out on Delia. Treat says, "Oh, I think I do. She practically pulled that kid's hair out by the roots." And once again...excellent. Ephram tells Delia to go to her room. Treat's all, "You can't send her to her room, that's my thing!" Hee. Ephram motions for Delia to go.
She does, and Ephram lets loose. He asks Treat what in the hell he's doing. Treat starts explaining about Delia, but Ephram cuts him off. "With Linda. How could you expose yourself to something so dangerous?" Treat tells Ephram to slow down, and says, "I told you we were being careful. I thought you were okay with this." Ephram says he's not. "Even being careful doesn't make it safe. How many lectures have you given me about that?" Treat says it's not that simple, and it's not like he hasn't thought this through. He tells Ephram that he knows there's a chance that Rinda could get sick. Ephram interrupts, "She IS sick! If something happened..." Treat says nothing's going to happen. Ephram says, "What if nothing happens, and Delia falls in love with her, and we're a big happy family, and then she gets sick. And Delia has to go through losing another mother, what then? Did you think about that?" Treat says something could happen to Rinda, or to him, that cars crash, and bad things happen all the time. Weak, Treat. Very weak. Treat says that you have to be willing to take some risks. Ephram argues that Treat can't take those risks. Treat says he has to take some risks in order to have a life, and he gets that Ephram is scared. Ephram hits us all in the heart with, "Of course I'm scared; you're all we've got!" Oh, Ephram. I forgive you for everything. Treat is stunned. Ephram tells his dad that this isn't a car crash -- it's a choice. My best Friendster Sarah, who has come over for drinks but has been tricked into sitting here and waiting for me to finish this recap, would like to pause here and offer, "That's a good-lookin' boy. Look at that bone structure. Also, I want to know what color lip-stain he's wearing. It's so nice and peach! Look at those peach lips!" Yes, readers, it's true. Sometimes I recap on Saturday nights. This is how much I love you. And now back to the drama. Ephram says if there's the slightest possible chance Treat could get sick, "What would we do?" Treat is left alone to ponder this as we go to commercials.
Abbott Office. Edna walks in. Patch tells her that if she's looking for Rinda, she's not there. Edna says, "I know, and she's not coming." Patch says he's going to call her, and Edna tells him not to, because if he does, she'll come in. "Let her quit, Junior." Patch gets up on his high horse again, blabbing about how everyone's wrong and he's right. Edna says that she wanted to fight right there with him, and shove a sock down Everwood's throat. Hee. Sarah would like to add that she has Edna's haircut. Sarah is very shallow, and does not appreciate this moving drama. Edna tells Patch that it's not the town's fault; he should have "disclosed." Patch rolls his eyes in the way that only a son can roll his eyes at his mother. Edna says she knows he did it for the right reasons, but it was a mistake. Patch knows that his mother is both wise and right. He says if Rinda leaves the practice, she'll have nothing left there. "She'll leave, Mother. We'll lose her again." Edna says they don't know that, and Rinda has a life in Everwood now. Patch hopes Edna is right. Sarah fixes me a drink and tells me to type faster, for God's sake.
High school. Bright, in the weirdest furry jacket ever, walks with Amy. Amy tells Bright that she's going to ask Rinda to help her with her Spanish. Bright: "You know she'll kick your ass if she thinks you're feeling sorry for her." Amy says she knows, but she just wants to go over there. Bright says he figures the best thing he can do for Rinda is let her have the same life she would have if she'd never gotten sick. Bright is both hot, and wise beyond his years, ugly jacket notwithstanding. Bright says Rinda doesn't really miss out on anything unless they do something different. Amy remarks that Bright just said something kind of deep. Bright's all, "Yeah." He tells Amy he can't believe that the worst thing he thought could happen this week was her trying to get up on Ephram again. Amy laughs, and then is like, "Wait. What?"
Brown House. Delia is reading on the couch. Rinda finds her and says, "This is new. Shouldn't the TV be on?" Sarah would like to interrupt at this time and let you all know that while we sit in here, drink, smoke cigarettes, and recap, our husbands are in the kitchen washing dishes. We made them do it. Delia says she's in trouble. Rinda asks her what she did. Delia: "I beat up Brittany. And I got you into trouble...with everyone." Sniff. Rinda sits down to Delia and tells her, "Oh, Delia. I'm not in trouble. And I'm not mad at you." Delia points out that she told Rinda's secret. Rinda says that sometimes secrets need to be told, especially one like this. Ephram, we see, is eavesdropping on this conversation. Rinda says she knows what it's like to walk around with a secret that big around your neck, and she kept it in for a long time. Delia asks Rinda what she did. Rinda says that she basically spent all her energy trying not to burst and tell everyone her secret. "I got so far away that I finally had to come home just so I could tell the people that I trusted, and it was still too much." Rinda is pretty. She continues, "I told you, and that helped. And now more people know, and it doesn't feel so big anymore. Maybe if everybody takes a little piece, the part that I have to carry gets less heavy. So in a way, I'm glad it happened." Delia asks if they're okay. Rinda says, "We're good." Delia: "Really good?" Rinda responds, and makes me burst into completely unexpected tears, with, "Good as frosting." WAH! And now she has to gooooooo! Rinda tells Delia that she's no lawyer, but she's pretty sure Colorado state law says that Treat can't ground Delia for something she did to Rinda, so she's revoking the punishment. Delia can't believe it. "You can do that?" Rinda says she can. She taps her on the head with the remote, and says, "I hereby dub thee ungrounded; thy curse is lifted. Go watch much television." Aw. Yay, TV! Delia asks what about her dad. Rinda says she'll take care of the "big guy." Whatever, totally not crying. This is stupid.
Rinda finds Treat on the porch. She tells him that, for the record, she just ungrounded Delia. Rinda snuggles up to Treat, and they talk about the weather. That awkward, already? Rinda says she still blames the snow for them dating in the first place, but she just couldn't resist a dramatic moment. Just like a certain Berlanti I know. Treat looks sadder than sad. Rinda asks him what's wrong, and he can't answer. Rinda: "That bad?" Treat tells Rinda that he can't do this anymore. He says he thought everything was okay, but now Ephram is scared, and he can't ask him not to be. Rinda is near tears, but tells Treat that it's okay. Treat says it's not okay. Rinda says it was coming. Treat tells Rinda how sorry he is, a lot of times. Rinda closes her eyes in pain, Treat tears up, and Sarah and I get more wine.
Fade to the day, at the Abbott Office, Minus One. Louise runs down Patch's appointments for the day, ending with, "You do have a 1:15. Apparently, Pat Beardsley got another quarter stuck in his ear." Heh. A stranger walks in. Patch asks the man what he can do for him. He tells Patch that he's with his insurance company, and there's a problem with his malpractice policy. Patch says everything should be in order, and he pays all his bills, including his telephone and automobills, on time. The insurance man asks if Patch was recently threatened with a suit over his partner's HIV status. Patch says he was, but it was dropped, and his partner no longer practices there. The terrorists win. Insurance Guy says Patch's policy is under review for failure to notify intent of non-disclosure. That's a lot of words in one sentence. He tells Patch that until his policy is re-evaluated, Abbott & Abbott will not be covered. Patch says, "You're suspending my insurance? I won't be able to practice. How long will this take?" Insurance Guy tells Patch that they'll have an answer in a few months. Just long enough for the summer to be over and Season 3 to start.
Cut to downtown Everwood. Ephram pulls up and finds his dad on the sidewalk. Treat tells Ephram he should be in school. Ephram's like, "Yeah, yeah, math, whatever, this couldn't wait." Treat tells Ephram that he doesn't have to do this. Ephram says what he said wasn't fair, and that Treat should be with Rinda if he wants to, that he deserves it, and so does she. Treat informs his son that he's already ended it. Ephram tells Treat to take it back. Treat says he can't; he didn't do it for Ephram, he did it because Ephram was right. You'd think that would be the same thing, but I've had ten glasses of wine. Treat says he has to make decisions for the whole family, not just him. Ephram: "But you love her, don't you? You can't just stop loving somebody, what're you going to do?" Treat, who is finally the adult in this picture, tells his son, "Go back to school, Ephram." Sad strummy la-la music plays as Treat, so beat down he can barely hold his head up, walks towards his office. Sarah would like to say one more thing: "Fuck you, Berlanti." And we fade to black.